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Rating: 
Summary: Remembering those Germans who defied Hitler's orders
Review: Brothers in Valor by Michael O. Tunnell (Holiday House; 0-8234-1541-4) Hamburg, Germany, 1937. Rudi Ollenick, the narrator, and his best friends, Karl Schneider and Helmuth Guddat, German boys, are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. The boys aren't sure how they can follow the teachings of their church, yet still be good German citizens, willing to follow the Führer. When the boys are forced to join Hitler's youth group, they learn about the ruthless and violent ways of the Nazis and begin to formulate a plan to spread the truth among the German people. The flyers they print and distribute put them in danger, but all three boys are willing to take the risk, even if it means they lose their lives. Tunnell, a BYU School of Education professor, has based his story on personal interviews, published biographies, and Nazi archival records, bringing to life the story of three heroes who had to decide on whose side they would stand.
Rating: 
Summary: A Riveting Chapter of History
Review: Not all Germans supported Adolf Hitler's rise and reign; organizations that questioned Nazi authority (White Rose and the Helmuth Hubener Group) were hunted, tried publicly, and sometimes executed. Although little-known in America, the Hubener Group has inspired several books (Holmes, Blair R. and Keele, Alan F. [ed.], When Truth Was Treason: German youth against Hitler: the story of the Helmuth Hubener Group, University of Illinois Press, 1995). Michael O. Tunnell used previous memoirs and original documents as the foundation for this historical novel of teen-age Latter-Day Saint (Mormon) boys who published newsletters based on BBC reports. Predictable episodes show why the boys are anti-Nazi -- the sudden disappearance of teachers and friends, and witnessing a Jewish family's eviction. Some expectations for the genre are overturned, rounding out several stock characters; Helmuth's Gestapo stepfather grieves over the boy's death sentence, while a Mormon bishop is pro-Nazi. The book raises questions of right and wrong, loyalty, and when disobedience is necessary. The conflict between LDS theology and Nazism is not fully explored beyond mention of the church's twelfth Article of Faith ("We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."). The notes mention that some names are changed, but do not tell what parts of the story are the author's inventions. A riveting chapter of history, this story could inspire readers on to more research, but Tunnell's attempt at YA fiction is driven by the events, instead of by the writing. For better reading, try his non-fiction work (Children of Topaz, w/George W. Chilcoat, 1996), his fiction for younger readers (School Spirits, 1997), or his picture book writing (Mailing May, 1997).
Rating: 
Summary: Great book!
Review: True story about three boys in Germany during WW2. They send out pamphlets to discredit Hitler's regime and are arrested by the secret police. The book tells about how they were treated in jail and what happened at their trial. It's a great book, but sad in the end.
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